I Got Tired of Slow PDF Tools, So I Built My Own

Shreyash Srivastava — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:49:50 +0000

A few weeks ago, I needed to make a simple change to a PDF.

Nothing complicated.

I just wanted to merge a couple of files.

But somehow, a 10-second task turned into:

And I thought:

Why does working with a PDF still have to feel like this?

So I decided to build my own solution.

Introducing IHateLovePDF

I built IHateLovePDF — a free collection of PDF tools designed around one simple idea:

PDF operations should be fast, private, and simple.

The biggest decision I made was to process files directly inside the browser whenever possible.

That means your files don't need to be sent somewhere else just to perform a basic operation.

I had four priorities:

⚡ Speed

No unnecessary upload → process → download cycle for operations that can happen locally.

🔒 Privacy

Your documents shouldn't have to leave your device for simple PDF operations.

🚫 No annoying ads

I wanted the interface to focus on the actual tool.

🧩 Simplicity

Choose a tool → select your file → get the result.

That's it.

Right now, IHateLovePDF includes tools for things like:

And I'm still working on it.

Doing something in the browser doesn't automatically make it fast.

Large files, memory usage, rendering, and keeping the UI responsive all become interesting problems when you're processing documents client-side.

Building this project taught me a lot about browser performance and designing around those limitations.

And there is still plenty I want to improve.

The project is live:

I'd genuinely appreciate honest feedback.

Every comment helps me improve the product.